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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pop — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. toast — bread
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com